1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automotive accessories and, more particularly, to a trailer or towed vehicle hitch alignment apparatus.
2. History of the Prior Art
Towed vehicles such as boat trailers, camping trailers and many other trailers or vehicles for general or specific use are common in the prior art. Towing and towed vehicles are typically coupled with a ball and socket hitch. The ball is usually mounted at the rear of the towing vehicle and the socket is mounted at the front of the towed vehicle. Precise alignment of the ball and socket is required to allow the two to be coupled. Aligning these components without assistance from an outside observer is frequently a difficult and frustrating experience. The ball and socket become blocked from the driver's view and even an experienced driver has to get out of the towing vehicle a number of times to check the relative position of the hitch components or risk a collision of the two vehicles. The closing distance of the two vehicles is more difficult to judge than the lateral, or left-right alignment. The inability of the driver to accurately judge the closing distance relative to the two vehicles often results in a collision causing damage to one or both vehicles.
A number of hitch alignment guides have been devised. All of these devices have components which mount both to the towing vehicle and to the towed vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,029 issued to Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,599 issued to Tague and U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,183 issued to McConnell are examples of devices consisting of vertical rods connected to both vehicles. These rods must be viewed through the rear window of the towing vehicle when backing up to a towed vehicle or trailer to provide assistance to the driver. U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,432 issued to Law describes a device consisting of a vertical rod mounted to the towed vehicle and a fork-like sighting member mounted to the towing vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,147 issued to Ross describes a guide rod mounted to the trailer that extends toward the tow vehicle and actually touches its rear window at a required pre-placed mark to indicate proper alignment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,972 issued to Vankrevelen describes a device which consists of two sighting rods, one connected to the towing vehicle and the other connected to the towed vehicle. These rods can be mounted in the vertical position or in the horizontal position to extend laterally past the side of the tow vehicle to allow the device to be seen if rearward visibility is blocked.
U.S Pat. No. 4,627,634 issued to Coleman describes a device which consists of two sighting rods. One rod mounts to the tow vehicle and the other mounts to the towed vehicle or on the ground in a predetermined spot if rearward visibility is blocked. All of the above inventions require a mark or member to be placed on the towing vehicle or on both the towing and towed vehicles.